Third Grade
Worksheets
Flyways, Not Freeways!
Every spring and every fall many species of birds migrate. They fly from one part of the world to another. They do this for many reasons. Birds migrate to look for food. They also do it to escape cold weather. But how do birds migrate? How do they know where to fly? No one has ever seen a bird read a map, yet somehow these animals know where they are going!
Birds migrate along a flyway. They follow this special flight path. Migration seems to be triggered by nature's cues. As the days get longer or shorter, birds seem to instinctively know it's time to move.
Scientists aren't completely sure how birds know where to go. They think that birds may combine instinctive knowledge with learned information as well. Birds may use a sun compass to help them find their way. They may also be able to detect the Earth's magnetic fields. Migrating birds also appear to use sight clues to help them .....
